In this third edition, Harmon takes us on a journey toward better understanding and perhaps better application of business process management (BPM). The book offers some background on the historical development of different views and techniques, discussing visions, events, and research that mark the different epochs and currents in this discipline.

The book’s three parts correspond to the author’s proposed three-level business process pyramid: enterprise level, business process level, and implementation or resource level.

Part 1, on the enterprise level, provides a general understanding of how an organization drafts strategies, visions, goals, and so on, and how such business initiatives can be interpreted in terms of architectures, measurements, and processes to accomplish its proposed objectives. Along the way, the book gives some practical advice and provides tools.

Part 2, on the process level, deals with specific tools to model, design, evaluate, and improve processes. Topics like flow diagrams, activity analysis, Lean, and Six Sigma are explained and amply exemplified. The author’s own methodology is also depicted.

Part 3, on the implementation level, introduces the use of software to support process modeling, analysis, and design.

The book is a practical reference for managers and practitioners interested in BPM or already involved in business process initiatives in large to medium organizations. One of the highlights of this book is its holistic approach; the author integrates various currents of thought, tools, and techniques. Readers will profit extensively from the best practices and examples presented. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the book is missing one thing: advice for small organizations.

More reviews about this item: Amazon